High Surf in Northern Monterey Bay, California

Coastal erosion reported along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz due to wind swept waves as a storm moved in.

High astronomical tides combined with storm surge based off westerly swell and strong winds contributed to major coastal flooding impacts during the first few days of January. Impacts were seen across the coastal regions of the Bay Area and Central Coast, including locations of the Pacific coast that were typically insulated from the impacts of tidal flooding. A Coastal Flood Advisory was put in place starting December 31 through January 5, initially for the San Francisco and Monterey Bays but eventually including the Pacific Coast. A Coastal Flood Warning was put in place for January 2 and 3 for the San Francisco and San Pablo Bayshore areas. The San Francisco tide gauge reached 8.40 feet above MLLW on January 3, which would make it the fourth highest water level at the station on record.